1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a protective crash helmet and more specifically to a protective crash helmet that increases the safety and comfort of the wearer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The standard helmet worn today by motorcycle riders usually contains three (3) basic layers. The outside layer is a shell made of impact resistant material, the next layer beneath the shell is a relatively thick cushioning material and the inner layer is a thin liner backed with open cell foam.
The standard helmet is also provided in sizes similar to hat sizes, however, some interior portions of the helmet may allow a gap between between the wearer's head and the liner. The reason for the gap is because all wearer's heads are not the same shape. Some wearers may have a gap at the top or side while others may have the gap on the front or back. In case of a crash, the wearer's head would have to take up the gap before the cushioning material would take affect. This could create injury to the wearer in a high impact crash where all the cushioning effect is required.
A standard helmet being constructed for safety is also thermally insulated, and can cause discomfort as a result of high ambient temperature. In warm weather, these helmets become quite uncomfortable due to the fact that only the wearer's face is exposed to the exterior air and then only when certain types of face shields or no face shields at all are used. Thus in summer, especially when the temperature inside the helmet increases, the head of the wearer gets moist. Therefore, even if the wearer wears the helmet for a short time, the wearer feels uncomfortable.
There are several safety helmets that combine a cushioning effect with a ventilating system available as prior art. One such helmet is U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,966 to Brown. This helmet is designed in two (2) sections that pivot to avoid injury to the back of the wearer's neck. A ventilating system is also included. This invention concentrates on protecting the wearer's neck during high impact accidents. The section described in this invention that pivots is designed to engage the wearer's neck at a point below the fragile upper cervical area and in particular below the third vertebrae. While this invention may provide additional safety if the neck portion becomes involved in a crash, there is no adjustable layer to provide a snug and therefore a safer fit on the wearer's head.
Another protective helmet and ventilating system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,865 to Bergee et al. This helmet is again comprised of a rigid outer shell, a liner of suitable cushioning material and a thin inner liner covering the cushioning material. The ventilating system is a complex air flow pattern over the wearer's head with adjustable doors in front of the helmet to control the air flow. Again, there is no teaching of an adjustable liner to provide safety and comfort.
A third reference to crash helmets is U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,953 to DeBarsy which also describes a ventilating system. DeBarsy's patent also describes a solid shell, a inwardly lined compressible material, and a thin layer of open-cell foam. The air from the ventilating system enters the top front of the helmet, is circulated and exits the rear. DeBarsy does not describe an adjustable liner to provide a more safe and comfortable fit.
It will be seen from the following description of the present invention that the present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the above helmets by providing a means to adjust the inner liner to fit various head shapes. This not only provides comfort but safety to the wearer. In addition, an adjustable ventilating system is provided to give the wearer additional comfort, especially in warm weather. The present invention's adjustable layer of air bubbles can be tailored by air pressure to fit a specific shaped head. This will not allow any gap between the wearer's head and the liners. In addition, by using a special shaped air bubble, air may circulate over the wearer's head from an entrance door in the front of the helmet and exit through doors in the rear of the helmet. In order to insure a snug fit, the air bubbles communicate with each other whereby the pressure in all the air bubbles is substantially the same but the volume will vary.
In the event of an accident where the helmet strikes a hard object, the air bubbles and their respective tubes that allow the air bubbles to communicate with each other will provide a damping effect.